Disclaimer: Honestly I swear I meant to put this darn thing up in the previous chapters….I just forgot :'[ So here goes….I do not own Army Wives! Now remember that I do not condone drinking at all, not just underage drinking but all drinking! I feel that alcohol is bad because my own parents have struggled with alcoholism, though thankfully have been sober for many years. I've never tried the stuff but my BETA/BFF begged me to do this chapter for her own entertainment.

Author's Note: So anyways thank you for all the reviews! And at LaLaLola's request I'll be using her suggestion in an upcoming chapter :) Woo hoo! I understand that I've updated the chapters incredibly fast, as in ten full chapters in two days, but all of my writing efforts have been worked on for months. Since the season three finale actually and I've just recently been able to update them. Hahaha my laptop and flash drive was left at my home in Moscow and I just got it the other day through airmail!!! Woo hoo! International Mailman Pilot you are my hero! Please Read and Review ;) LOVE RILEY!

LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE :)

All night his attention had been diverted from his red plastic cup of straight bourbon to the pretty underage girl's dancing. Not that he should be pointing fingers, since he wasn't twenty-one either, but at least he wasn't seventeen. Him watching her and her equally underage friends dancing wasn't where the night's antics start though, so we should back track a little.

Jeremy Sherwood wasn't exactly a party-goer until recently, until three months ago he'd never even tried alcohol. Sure he went through this brief phase of getting absolutely smashed and picking fights, but he did all his drinking at home then. Now a few of his fellow Army Private's had pulled him into the underage party circuit and it wasn't exactly his prime preference. This was his first time out at a party since his suicide attempt, and he couldn't even see what he ever liked about it. Substance Abuse was supposed to be a sign of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder though, and Dr. Burton said that his now dwindling interest in drinking was an early sign of recovery; a step in the right direction.

But here he was anyways, at a friend's household kegger bash. An old buddy from high school was throwing the giant party, alcohol was easily at his disposal and the place was loaded with girls. A large red cup of straight bourbon rested on the counter of the bar he was sitting at, untouched as he observed the drunken partiers.

Most of the girls there were too slutty for his taste, not that he was looking for a new broad at the moment. Jeremy knew that it would be all to easy to lure anyone of these girls to his bed for the night, but he couldn't give a damn at the moment. Sure, there were a few pretty ones, dressed in way-too-short skirts and way-too-high heels. Their thin little shirts left little to the imagination and he could see young firm breasts peeking out from the collars. Not that the nineteen year old was paying any attention. As far as the female department went, he was already interested in someone else, and she was too much of a good girl to be caught at a raging booze party like this…or so he thought.

Private Sherwood almost had a heart attack when she walked in with a few of her friends. Together they made a group of five teenage girls that were obviously too young to be here but he knew they would be given booze freely anyway. They were nervous and shy, but had gone into the effort of dressing the part. Well maybe not to the super-slut extent of the normal booze seeking party girls, but they had at least worn slightly more revealing clothes than any of them normally would and had probably spent hours on their hair. All five of the seventeen year olds were innocent, clean cut girls. Jeremy would wager money that none of them had been to a party like this before, least of all Emmalin Holden.

Across the sea of drunken people, the brunette spotted him and broke into a wide dimpled smile. Excusing herself from her friends, the General's daughter made her way through the mess of inhabitants, careful not to collide with any of the wasted girls that were dancing promiscuously all over the rather spacious room.

"Jeremy." Emmalin smiled, taking a seat next to the soldier at the bar. They hadn't seen each other since she stayed with his family last week.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, trying not to sound harsh. Even though this was not a place Emmalin should be hanging out, he was secretly ecstatic to see her.

"My friends and I've never been to a kegger before…we've never even had any alcohol and I'm curious." She admitted, blushing. Her hands smoothed the shiny, sequin dress she was wearing, it was the color of spun gold and made her tan skin stand out. It was shorter than any outfit she'd worn out of the house before and hugged her body more than she was used to. She could feel Jeremy's eyes follow the line of her figure and she blushed a deeper crimson.

"Do your parent know you have a dress like that?" He asked raising an eyebrow, knowing that he shouldn't be checking a minor out, but he couldn't help it. Jeremy always thought she looked beautiful, Emmalin was a beautiful girl and this new revealing dress did her excellent body justice, the strapless number fitted her body like a glove.

"It's my friend's, my parents are going to be home late tonight. Do you like it?" Emmalin teased. The Army Brat had missed him, she had seen him less than seven days ago but her mind was always focusing on the soldier. She didn't tell him earlier, but part of the reason she had selected this party to experiment with was because she was told he might be here. Her friend Heather had found out from her older brother that this big party would attract all the underage Army Private's because they wouldn't get carded.

"I'd like it better if I was the only one who got to see you in it, instead of a room full of drunken guys." Jeremy admitted, he could feel the other guy's in the room staring at the youngest Holden. Though he doubted any of them recognized her as Major General Michael Holden's daughter. Emmalin and her friends would probably be fighting guys of with baseball bats tonight, and the thought almost sickened him. These minors where fresh meat and would be hit on all night.

"Jealous?" Emmalin laughed. Her laugh was sweet and melodious, he couldn't get enough of it.

"No." Jeremy answered, truth be told he wasn't jealous, just a little territorial. Even though Emmalin wasn't his girlfriend or anything. She was only seventeen, and he had eight months in counting before he was even allowed to kiss her without the punishment of child molestation hanging over his head.

"If I saw you with one of those sluts, I'd be jealous." She admitted, biting her lip, she slowly reached for his hand. Yeah, he couldn't touch her yet, but she definitely could touch him.

"Well lucky for you, I'm not interested in any of them." He chuckled, not pulling his hand away as she laced their fingers together.

"Lucky for me." She smoothed her bangs from her eyes. Emmalin had spent hours with her friends curling her hair into perfect ringlets, all for the prospect of looking nice incase she ran into Jeremy.

"You planning on getting smashed tonight?" The soldier asked, his rough hand ran through her long dark hair, carefully pulling a few curls free of her dangly earrings.

"I haven't made up my mind yet?" Emmalin whispered, she loved it when Jeremy touched her hair. She had made sure it looked nice, since she knew he especially liked her hair.

"Your friend's have." He nodded toward two of Emmalin's friends, whom where dancing intoxicated atop a table.

"I don't know if I'll go through with it yet." She admitted, she was too much of a good girl to go through with it she knew. Her parents had spent her whole life teaching her that drinking and drugs were wrong. Emmalin had been more rebellious since her sister's death but she was no wild child. Michael and Claudia Joy currently were at a dinner. As far as they knew their daughter was at a movie; a PG 13 romantic comedy about a couple that visit in-laws for the first time, or at least that's what the newspaper review said the movie was about.

"If you start drinking. Promise me that you won't get in the car with your thrashed friends… And if some jackass tries anything with you, you'll tell me right?" The nineteen year old knew that if Emmalin got wasted then chances where one of the perverts here wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of her.

"Jealous?" Emmalin teased, leaning forward to kiss Jeremy's cheek softly. Mmhhh, she had missed him. Private Sherwood had never kissed or touched her, but Emmalin often displayed affection towards him.

"Yeah." Jeremy admitted, they both knew how the other felt but a relationship wasn't possible at the moment. Jeremy thought he was anything but Emmalin's Prince Charming; he had PTSD issues to work out, their parents wouldn't approve, he dated her sister.

"I promise." She smiled.

"If you need me to I'll drive you home, 'kay?" Jeremy explained, Emmalin getting in the car with one of those girls wasn't a good idea and he didn't mind taking her home. He hadn't even sipped his drink yet and wouldn't have any problems getting her home safe.

"Kay." Was it wrong that she was now secretly hoping her friends were incapable of driving?

"Emmalin! Stop flirting with your friend and have fun with us!" A tall blonde in a sparkly purple dress slurred, making the Army Brat blush again.

"See you later, maybe?" Emmalin suggested, receiving a nod in return.

His dark eyes watched as she and her friends explored the party. They mostly danced, Emmalin couldn't be described as graceful despite being sober, but she was a sexy little dancer. Her hips shook as she twirled gently with a red-headed friend, now they were the only two not smashed. They moved and danced, clearly amused as the loud music pounded.

His buddy, Cooper, laughed as he stumbled back to the bar, a short blonde bimbo in tow. Cooper followed his gaze and found the two seventeen year olds dancing.

"You're not thinking of robbing the cradle, right man? I saw you talking to that cute one when they first showed up. You know her, Jere?" Cooper asked, clearly tipsy but not quite drunken enough for his words to slur.

"Yeah. She's not your type." Knowing that Cooper was checking her out.

"Oh. But she's your type, right buddy?" Laughed Cooper,

"She too young." Jeremy insisted.

"She's not gonna be that way forever." Cooper corrected, though Jeremy knew he had a good point. After all, Emmalin wasn't going to be seventeen forever, hell she would be eighteen in less than a year.

"Her dad's my boss." Private Sherwood crossed his arms. He decided it would be best not to specify exactly who Emmalin's father was.

"He's not gonna live forever." Cooper insisted, feeling his new lady friend up as they conversed. Their other friend, Bradley, joined the group. Bradley like Jeremy hadn't had anything to drink. He was a straight-laced, pre-med student and he'd rather spend his time in the library than at some drunken party.

Jeremy favored Brad's timid companionship to Cooper's wild one. But Brad wasn't a best friend or trusted confidant, Jeremy's best friend Fitch had recently gotten married and was expecting a baby, so parting was lost on him for the moment.

"I dated her sister." Jeremy sighed.

"Ohh. I get it. Yeah she's probably not the girl for you." Cooper grimaced, running his hand over his blonde close-cut hair.

Jeremy watched as Emmalin timidly took her first shot, her nose scrunching at the taste. Now that she was drinking he knew it wouldn't be long before scumbags started hitting on her, it was probably best if he kept an eye on her. As much as Cooper was his friend, he was also the kind of guy that would take advantage of a wasted chick. He was feeling one up at the moment, though Jeremy knew that the girl was clearly seeking Cooper's affection. The rest of the party continued on much in that fashion.

The group of seventeen year old's gathered their things and made their way to the door, well most of them, Emmalin was making her way towards Jeremy.

The blonde from earlier, Heather, called after her, "Emmalin, where are you going? We have to be back before my parents."

"Go on, I've got a ride." Emmalin explained, still stumbling toward the nineteen year old.

"You're sure?" Heather asked, Emmalin nodded back.

He watched her stagger in her heels, and grabbed his keys, crossing the distance to her while praying she didn't fall and crack her head open.

"Still willing to drive me home?" Emmalin smiled, wrapping herself around one of his arms.

"Tequila? You had tequila?" He asked, smelling the Mexican liquor all over her.

"Yeah, that was probably a bad idea."

"You should of started off small, beer or something instead of hard liquor." Damn, her hangover tomorrow was going to be a bitch. He hoped she could stomach it.

"I only had two shots, I swear." Emmalin pouted, clinging to his arm even tighter.

"I know, I'll bet you've got bad alcohol tolerance." He explained, stroking her hair which had gotten slightly messed up from dancing all night, "You probably suck at holding your liquor." He wrapped an arm around her to help keep Emmalin from falling.

"I'm sort of dizzy… I don't think I like drinking." She whispered into his chest, her arms tangling around his waist as they walked.

"That's good, there's no upside to getting drunk. Next thing you know, you'll be starting wasted bar fights in front of your mom." He chuckled, gently pulling her dress into a respectable state again. While she was dancing the top had fallen down, displaying even more creamy skin and the top of her bosom, he could see a black lacy bra peeking out.

Jeremy carefully lifted her slender body into the passenger side of his truck, leaning over her to buckle her safely in. The girl was so light that he could lift her easily, almost too easily. He walked to the driver's side and jumped in, buckling also. Mewing, Emmalin unbuckled and slide into the middle seat, curling into Jeremy. He leaned over and fastened the Army Brat into the seat next to him, his arm wrapping loosely around her waist. Once they started driving, he would have her all to himself for twenty minute before they reached her place.

"Did you even notice my hair?" Emmalin laughed, her voice quiet, her head nestled in the crook of his neck.

"Yeah, you did something different to it." Stroking the soft strands with one hand, the other steering, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Good. I spent two hours curling it. I'd have been really disappointed if I went through all that trouble for you and you didn't even notice, Jeremy." Emmalin whispered, kissing his shoulder.

"You spent two hours on your hair for me? Two hours? Why does it take a girl two hours to do her hair?" He sighed, not comprehending why anyone could spend that much time on their hair.

"Mmmh-huh. And I wore this dress for you. My friend said you'd like it." The brunette slurred. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't ever have told him how much effort she put in for his attention.

"She was right. You planned running into me tonight?" Private Sherwood asked, curious.

"No. Not really, but I hoped you'd be there." Emmalin hiccupped.

"You didn't have to get all dolled up. I wouldn't have been able to stop staring at you either way." He confessed, he felt no anxiety or nervousness since he knew she wouldn't remember in the morning anyway.

"I love the way you smell. What is it? You always smells like sandalwood."

"Aftershave and fabric softener?" He suggested chuckling, Emmalin would never have said such a thing unless completely smashed.

"What did you and Major Sherwood talk about after I went to take my shower?" She kissed his cheek, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck.

"You." Jeremy explained simply.

"What about me?"

"That I'm not dating you."

"You could be…you know, if you wanted to."

"Really now?" Too bad she wasn't legal yet, because the Army Brat was pretty entertaining drunk and definetly less reserved.

"Mmmh. I wish you'd ask me on a date or something."

"Not much point in a date, since I wouldn't even be able to kiss you at the end of it."

"You could too, I'd let…I'd let you kiss me now even. I don't let a lot of guys kiss me. I've never even been felt up before. Did you know you're name's written on the bathroom walls at school?"

"Does it say good things?"

"Yeah. Says you're a good kisser, and then some."

"And then some, what?"

"Did you really fuck the Physics teacher?" Her strong language surprising him.

"No. It was Senorita Campbell, the Spanish teacher."

"Really?" Her eyes wide as she stared at him.

"That's not something I'm proud of."

"Did you get a good grade?"

"Top of the class. But not because we had sex, I still had to study."

"You were Valedictorian, right? And WestPoint wanted you?"

"Yeah. I never wanted to go to WestPoint, Dad never got over me turning them down." He sighed.

"Did he give you that speech about how WestPoint's about honor, and even having them look at your application is a privilege?"

"Something like that, why you've heard it before?" He laughed, stroking her soft, silky hair again.

"WestPoint recruits came to school the other day, and they gave us this huge lecture." Emmalin yawned, snuggling into his side again.

"I liked sports in high school."

"I remember. You were a junior when I started my freshman year. Did you know I'm on the hockey team, Jeremy?"

"Hockey? Why hockey? That's a lesbian sport."

"It is not! I like it…and I like you and you're clearly not a girl."

"Can't argue with that."

"You don't just like me cause I'm Amanda's little sister, do you?" Emmalin slurred, intoxicatingly confessing her biggest fear. That he might be using her as a replacement for her dead sister.

"No. I like you…because you're special. I like you because you're Emmalin." Jeremy's eyes briefly left the road to stare at her wide-eyed. Did she really have to ask that?

"Really? Because people always look at me like I'm supposed to be Amanda…I think my dad wished he had lost me instead of her. Sometimes I can't blame him. Amanda did everything right" She sighed, under normal circumstances she would never have expressed any of this. Emmalin curled deeper into Jeremy's one-armed embrace.

"That's not true. He loves you, I promise he love you." Looking at her awestruck at as they stopped at a red light.

"I know that. But he wishes Amanda were here more than me." The seventeen year old pouted.

Jeremy unbuckled her and pulled her into his arms completely, holding her against his chest firmly.

"No he doesn't. He wishes that he had both of you…And if I had to pick one or the other to…leave, I wouldn't let you go." Jeremy said gently, he couldn't believe she felt that way.

"Didn't you love her? You were dating when she died."

"I loved Amanda but I wasn't ever in love with her." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of a way to explain this to the drunken girl in his lap.

"What's the difference?" Emmalin slurred, her arms wrapping around Jeremy's neck even though his previous words had clearly saddened her.

"Well…your mom; she loves you but she's in love with your father." The soldier explained. Emmalin smiled and kissed his cheek as understanding dawned on her.

"Like a sister, you loved her like I loved her." He nodded, his arms pulling her closer. "You don't like me like a sister, right?" Emmalin whispered, as he gently pulled her placed her back in her seatbelt when the light turned green. They had one more block to go before they reached the Holden household.

"No. You're definetly not a sister to me." He laughed, he felt nothing family-like for the seventeen year old. He smoothed the hair from her forehead soothingly.

He pulled his black, four-door Ford into her driveway, turning off the ignition when they reached the top. The nineteen year old unbuckled and watched as Emmalin undid her seatbelt as well. Jeremy pulled open the driver's door and easily stepped out of the truck, Emmalin slide toward him and he gently lifted her out, knowing she'd fall if she climbed out herself.

"Thank you for taking me home." Emmalin smiled, as she clung to him, their legs carrying them across to the porch.

"Sure thing." His arm wrapped around her to cup her hip, gently supporting her quivering frame. Emmalin roughly pulled out of his grasp as a wave of nausea hit her, spilling her guts out on the lawn. Grimacing, the nineteen year old quickly pulled her hair out of her face and rubbed her back comfortingly. Emmalin let out a strangled cough when she had finished.

"That was awful." She admitted.

"Sounded awful." He admitted, pulling her into his arms and gently rubbing her back. His chin rested atop her head and he could feel her steady breathing into his chest. Jeremy gathered Emmalin in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the front door.

"Let me unlock it." Emmalin said as he gently placed her down on the 'welcome' mat at the end of the porch. She pulled a set of keys from her bag, selecting a silver one to use on the dead bolt. The Army Brat's hands shook too much to unlock the door, he quietly unfastened the lock for her. Emmalin grabbed his hand, gesturing that she wanted the nineteen year old to come in.

"You need me to carry you up the stairs?" Private Sherwood asked, as he watched the seventeen toss her shimmery shoes on the floor and throw her bag down on the couch.

"Mmmh-huh." Emmalin smiled, standing much steadier now that she wasn't wearing those ridiculously high heels anymore. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her this time, leisurely hauling her to her room. Jeremy turned her door knob, entering her pink and white bedroom, leaving the door open. He gently set her down in the middle of the floor.

"Unzip me." She ordered sweetly, turning around, pulling her long, curly tresses up and out of the way. He just stared at the girl like she had lost her mind.

"I can't." Though he was currently eyeing her figure. Jeremy couldn't even kiss her, unzipping her was out of the question.

"You have to. I can't sleep in this dress, silly. I have to change." Emmalin laughed, still holding her hair up. Reluctantly, he pulled the zipper down, the gold dress falling from her frame as he did so, pooling at the seventeen year old's feet. Emmalin was left in her dark undergarments, he turned around giving the minor her privacy so she could change.

Emmalin's arms wrapped Jeremy, her body resting against his back, "Give me your shirt." She said, smiling when she saw that he had started undoing his dark blue, flannel, long-sleeve, button-down. The soldier pulled it off, revealing a short-sleeve white undershirt; he turned around to help her put the soft shirt on. Jeremy helped Emmalin slip both arms through before buttoning it over her figure. The navy fabric fell mid-way to her thighs and looked surprisingly nice on her.

Jeremy gently lifted Emmalin into the middle of her bed, pulling the covers over her securely. She mewed softly and pulled on his large calloused hand, pouting.

"Stay… At least until I fall asleep." Emmalin requested, her arms wrapped around one of his elbow tightly.

"Just until you fall asleep." The soldier stroked her soft flushed cheek affectionately as he lied down above the covers. One strong arm slithered under the pink bed sheets to wrap around her waist while the other tangled around her back, he knew she wanted to be held by him.

"Thank you." Emmalin whispered against Jeremy's chest. He soothingly rubbed her back in small circles, receiving soft purrs in return.

"It's okay." He murmured into her hair, inhaling the smell of the Army Brat's sweet lilac shampoo.

"I'm glad you only thought of Amanda as a sister. She thought of you as a brother too. She cheated on you before you left for basics, did you know that? I can't remember what his name was or anything." The brunette yawned. Once again, the tequila from earlier was controlling her tongue.

This wasn't exactly any revelation to Jeremy, but who had told Emmalin about that? Did Amanda fill her younger sister in on what happened? He knew Amanda had been with another guy behind his back, and honestly they had even laughed about it before she died. Their relationship had always been awkward, it was like dating a relative. Kissing Amanda felt like kissing his mom, and that wasn't exactly a turn on. When he kissed Emmalin's forehead in the hospital that was anything but awkward.

"His name was Cooper." Jeremy said simply, running her hand through her silky, chocolate tresses.

"Cooper?"

"Yeah. A friend of mine."

"Your friend? Where you mad, Jeremy?"

"No. I wasn't in love with her and he was…still is. He's never really moved on. If I loved her, I would've been pissed off but the relationship just wasn't working for either of us." Despite all that Cooper was still his friend. He couldn't fault the guy for loving Amanda, he didn't have sister-like feelings for her.

"Did you cheat on her? Is Cooper still your friend?"

"No, I was having some problem at home that kept me too busy. And Cooper was at the party earlier."

"My mom told me about those problems."

"And you still wanna be with me?"

"You're better than that. I trust you." Emmalin said simply, yawning against his chest and snuggling deeper into Jeremy's arms.

"Maybe you shouldn't. I'm not exactly Prince Charming."

"You're Prince Charming, just not the one I expected. No long wavy hair and white horse. I wouldn't mind settling for you in camo and combat boots though." She giggled, kissing his cheek.

"Emmalin, you should never settle for less than you deserve." He told her, as her eyes started to flutter closed.

"I'm not." She insisted quietly, struggling to fight off sleep but not quite succeeding as her eyes closed gently. Within moments the girl was sound asleep.

"Sweet dreams, baby." And against his better judgment, Jeremy kissed her forehead softly. Sure he knew he wasn't supposed to but the soldier couldn't quite help himself.

Private Sherwood cautiously untangled himself from the sleeping Army Brat, being extra careful not to wake her. Gently he rolled her from her side onto her stomach, incase she got sick in the middle of her slumber. Quietly he headed for home, eager to get out before her parents could show up. He hoped to see her in the morning.